OYSTER MUSHROOM TIMBALES w/SMOKED DUCK

By BobD

Ingredients

• THE SAUCE:
• 4 smoked (or regular) duck breasts
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups brown duck stock (or use half chicken, half beef stock)
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• THE TIMBALES:
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup brown duck stock (or use half chicken, half beef stock)
• 4 large eggs
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups chopped oyster mushrooms, browned in 2 tablespoons of butter
• THE GARNISH:
• 3 cups whole oyster mushrooms, trimmed and cleaned
• 3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped
• Sprigs of fresh herbs (optional)

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from events.nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Skin the duck breasts and remove all fat and connective tissues. Set aside.

For the sauce, mix the stock, wine, shallots and thyme in a saucepan and reduce by about two-thirds, or until the mixture coats a spoon evenly. Remove from the heat and whisk in two tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper. Strain through a fine mesh and keep warm.

For the timbales, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter the interiors of eight muffin cups. Whisk together the half-and-half, stock and eggs, season with salt and pepper and strain. Place a tablespoon of the chopped mushrooms in each of the muffin cups and press down. Fill the cups with the timbale mixture. Cover the entire muffin tin with a sheet of buttered foil. Place the muffin tin inside a larger pan and fill with hot water to a level halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted near the center of a timbale comes out clean. Remove the timbales from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Heat two tablespoons of butter and the oil in a skillet over high heat and saute the duck breasts, browning them on both sides until medium rare, or about five minutes a side. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In the same skillet, saute the whole mushrooms. Season them and set aside.

To serve, run a knife along the edge of each timbale and unmold by inverting onto a cookie sheet. Place each timbale in the center of a plate. Cut the duck breasts into thin strips lengthwise and wrap them around the outer edge of each timbale. Ladle the sauce in a circle around the strips of duck.

Garnish with mushrooms, hazelnuts and herbs.